Writing Reports, Leaflets and Reviews

This lesson covers three forms that appear less often on Paper 2 than articles, speeches and letters — but often enough that you need to recognise them on sight and know their conventions. Reports, leaflets and reviews each have very different layouts, tones and reader expectations. Getting the form right in the first paragraph is what separates students who have prepared for Section B from students who are guessing.

This lesson develops AO5 across all three forms, reinforces the FAP framework from Lesson 2, and extends the register-matching work of Lessons 3–5. Because we're covering three forms, the lesson is structured as three mini-chapters, each with its own model extract and annotation. Budget your attention accordingly — a prompt will only ever ask for one of these three.

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Form 1: Reports

A report is a formal, structured piece of non-fiction writing that investigates an issue and presents findings, usually with recommendations. Paper 2 report prompts typically ask you to write to an authority figure (a headteacher, a manager, a council committee) about a situation that needs investigating or acting on.

What makes a report distinct

Reports are more formal than articles and more structured than letters. The key distinguishing features:

Feature	Why it matters
Title	Signals the scope (Report on After-School Activities at Fordham Academy)
Subheadings	Segment the report into findings / discussion / recommendations
Neutral tone	A report presents evidence; the writer's voice is muted
Data and specifics	Real-seeming numbers and named sources build credibility
Recommendations	A clear, numbered list of actions the reader should take

A common student error: treating a report like an article. Articles have voice and persuasion; reports have structure and restraint. A report that opens with a rhetorical question (Have you ever wondered…) has misread the form.

Report structure

graph TD
    A["TITLE"] --> B["INTRODUCTION<br/>Purpose + method"]
    B --> C["FINDINGS<br/>What the investigation showed"]
    C --> D["DISCUSSION<br/>What the findings mean"]
    D --> E["RECOMMENDATIONS<br/>Numbered list"]
    E --> F["CONCLUSION<br/>Short, sober"]

    style A fill:#3498db,color:#fff
    style E fill:#9b59b6,color:#fff

Model report extract (180 words)

Prompt: Write a report for your headteacher on the state of after-school activities at your school.

Report on After-School Activities at Fordham Academy Submitted by: Student Council, April 2026

1. Introduction

This report has been compiled in response to a request from the Senior Leadership Team for a student-led review of the current after-school activities programme. The findings are based on a voluntary survey completed by 218 students across Years 7 to 11, a series of focus-group conversations with Year 10 representatives, and a comparison with the programmes offered by three neighbouring schools.

2. Findings

The survey revealed three principal findings.

First, participation is uneven: 74% of surveyed students in Year 7 reported attending at least one after-school club, falling to 31% in Year 10. Second, the range of activities on offer has narrowed over the past two years, from eighteen clubs in 2023 to eleven in the current academic year, with sporting activities disproportionately represented. Third, students in all year groups reported that club information was difficult to access, with the majority relying on word of mouth rather than the school's intranet.

Annotation:

• Formal title block at the top: report title, author, date. This signals form immediately.
• Numbered section headings (1. Introduction, 2. Findings): one of the clearest form features of a report.
• Neutral, measured tone: no I think, no rhetorical questions, no direct address.
• Specific data (218 students, 74% / 31%, eighteen clubs in 2023 to eleven): reports live on numbers, even if invented.
• Third-person framing (This report has been compiled, students… reported): distances the writer from the findings.

Key move for Paper 2 reports: make up plausible data. Real examiners are not checking whether "218 students" is a real number — they are checking whether the report sounds like a report. It does if there are numbers in it.

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Form 2: Leaflets

A leaflet is a short, accessible piece of non-fiction writing designed to be read quickly, usually to inform, advise or persuade about a specific issue. Leaflet prompts on Paper 2 typically target a clear audience (Year 7 students, new parents, first-time voters, gym members, local residents).

What makes a leaflet distinct

Feature	Why it matters
Title	Usually direct, sometimes playful
Subheadings	Essential — break up the content into scannable sections
Bullet points	Make key information retrievable at a glance
Direct address	You and your — a leaflet speaks to its reader
Short paragraphs	Two to three sentences per paragraph is standard
FAQ sections	Rhetorical questions as section headers (What if I can't attend?)
Call-to-action box	Contact details, website, next step

Leaflets are often warm in tone — more like a friendly expert than a formal voice. The register depends on the audience: a leaflet for Year 7 is warmer than a leaflet for doctors attending a professional conference.

Model leaflet extract (220 words)

Prompt: Write a leaflet for parents of Year 7 students advising them how to support their child in settling in to secondary school.

Starting Year 7: A Parent's Survival Guide Five things you can do in the first six weeks

The first half-term is the hardest — and the most important

Your child has just moved from being one of the oldest pupils in their primary school to one of the youngest in ours. They have a new routine, new teachers, new friendships to form, and a locker combination they are almost certainly going to forget at least once. The first six weeks set the tone for the whole of Year 7, and the small things you do at home make a real difference.

1. Ask better questions than "How was your day?"

"How was your day?" gets "Fine". Try instead:

• What was the funniest thing that happened today?
• Who did you sit with at lunch?
• Was there anything that confused you in any of your lessons?

2. Let them forget things — once

Your child is going to forget their PE kit, their homework, and occasionally their own name in the first month. Resist the temptation to rescue them every time. One forgotten PE kit teaches organisation faster than six months of reminders. Two forgotten PE kits might need a conversation.

Annotation:

• Title and subheading (Starting Year 7: A Parent's Survival Guide / Five things you can do in the first six weeks): signals form and structure.
• Subheadings that tell a story (The first half-term is the hardest — and the most important): not generic labels, but mini-arguments.
• Direct address (Your child, you do at home): binds reader to content.
• Numbered sections with imperative headings (Ask better questions… Let them forget things…): makes actions memorable.
• Bullet list of alternative questions: typical leaflet scan-ability.
• Humour and warmth (their own name in the first month, a conversation): signals audience awareness — this parent wants to feel respected and reassured, not lectured.

Leaflets reward specificity. Generic advice (talk to your child, be supportive) reads as filler. Specific advice (the first half-term… one forgotten PE kit teaches organisation faster than six months of reminders) reads as expert.

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Form 3: Reviews

A review is a piece of non-fiction writing that evaluates something — a book, a film, a restaurant, a product, a place, an event. Review prompts on Paper 2 are less common than articles or letters but do appear. A review combines description (what the thing is) with evaluation (whether it's any good) and recommendation (should the reader bother).

What makes a review distinct